Below Rail Infrastructure, Engineering, Passenger Rail

Early Ballarat line works begin

V/Line train. Photo: Victorian Government

Crews have begun work to duplicate the rail line near Deer Park, west of Melbourne, as part of the Victorian Government’s $518 million upgrade of the Ballarat line.

Victorian public transport minister Jacinta Allan this week visited Deer Park, where roughly a kilometre of rail will be duplicated ahead of the major portion of the Ballarat Line Upgrade works.

The Deer Park work has been brought forward to coincide with construction of the new Caroline Springs station, which the government says it’s building to improve public transport in Melbourne’s growing western suburbs.

Caroline Springs is being built along the Ballarat line, further from Southern Cross (in Melbourne, the centre of the network) than Deer Park station.

While construction crews are on site, they will duplicate the line between Christies Road and the new station, and install new signalling, Allan said.

This first section of double-track will open at the same time as the new Caroline Springs Station early next year.

The $518 million upgrade, which will start in 2017, will duplicate the line all the way to Melton station, just over 20 kilometres from Deer Park.

The project will also duplicate a three kilometre section of single track west of Warrenheip, further down the line, and will build three extra crossing loops, at Bacchus Marsh, Ballan and near Bungaree.

“The Andrews Labor Government’s transformation of the Ballarat corridor will deliver more frequent, reliable services to Melbourne’s west, Melton and communities right along the Ballarat line,” the minister said.

“Over the next few years we’ll duplicate the track, build new passing loops and upgrade stations to make it easier to get to work, school and appointments, and home safer and sooner at the end of the day.”

Allan says the project will be bolstered by the Labor Government’s $280 million investment in 27 new V/Locity carriages, which will create space for 2000 extra passengers across the regional network.

New stabling facilities will be built at Melton and Rowsley to house the extra carriages needed and second platforms will be built at Bacchus Marsh and Ballan stations.

Existing platforms at Rockbank Station will also be extended so passengers can use each carriage to get on or off the train, and a sealed car park will also be built on the south-side of the Station.